Quick-Release ATV Skis

ABSTRACT

Quick-release skis couple to the front wheels of an ATV or other wheeled vehicle, to permit the ATV to travel over snow. The rear ATV wheels may be left unaltered, or more commonly, tracks may be substituted for the rear wheels. The ski coupling includes a drive-on runner and coupling having in one embodiment width-adjustable side walls, an over-center clamp, and a lock for securing the over-center clamp. In a second embodiment, a pivotal tire cage allows the ATV tire to be driven onto the ski, but simply by forward travel of the tire the cage pivots to constrain the tire thereon. A strap then binds the tire and cage to ensure the tire stays in place on the ski. In a third embodiment, an ATV track is converted to a runner by the application and tensioning of a ski. Additional embodiments are illustrated.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/861,926 filed Sep. 22, 2015 and granted as U.S. Pat. No.9,457,831 on Oct. 4, 2016, which in turn is a divisional of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/960,759 filed Aug. 6, 2013 and granted as U.S.Pat. No. 9,139,216 on Sep. 22, 2015, which in turn claims the benefitunder 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. provisional patent application 61/680,269filed Aug. 6, 2012, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/855,884 filed Apr. 3, 2013 and granted as U.S.Pat. No. 8,739,913 on Jun. 3, 2014, which in turn is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/027,231 filed Feb. 14, 2011 andgranted as U.S. Pat. No. 8,418,792 on Apr. 16, 2013, which in turnclaims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. provisional patentapplication 61/326,217 filed Apr. 20, 2010 and naming the presentfirst-named inventor, the contents of each which are incorporated hereinby reference in entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention pertains generally to the field of motor vehicles, andmore particularly to the provision of one or more ski-like or runnermembers substitutable for wheel type support structure. Closely relatedthereto in an alternative manifestation, this invention pertainsgenerally to land vehicles, and more particularly to vehicles withrunners applied to the wheels of wheeled vehicles.

2. Description of the Related Art

In many parts of the country, transportation is taken for granted.Through a vast network of paved and well-maintained roads and readilyavailable and affordable automobiles and motorcycles, the vast majorityof people are able to travel where they need to. In most cases, they mayalso take time to travel for recreational purposes. In addition toautomobiles and motorcycles, which perform admirably on wet or dryroadways, other types of motor vehicles have proved to be useful andbeneficial and so are being used by more people.

One such vehicle is an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV), which is designed totraverse diverse areas, including both roadways and also unpaved areaswhere automobiles and motorcycles are unable. An ATV may have three ormore wheels, and will often have four. The tires are often relativelywide and of large diameter, and the ATV will often have a relativelysoft suspension having a long travel. The combination of large diametertire and long, soft suspension permits the ATV to travel over roughterrain, and also helps the ATV to stay on the surface of ground thatwould otherwise be impassable by many other motor vehicles, such as mudand loose sand. Most ATVs are also relatively smaller and lighter thanan automobile, and may typically be designed to transport one or twopersons.

ATVs have filled a void in motor transportation, by permitting people totravel in areas that previously were passable only on foot or with theassistance of animals such as horses or the like. Their utility foragriculture, emergency, light duty towing and plowing, and many otherwork activities has created a significant demand. Further, they haveenabled people to travel when road conditions might otherwise havepreviously prevented them. This can be crucial during an emergency, whenmotorized transportation may be critical to the preservation of life.Finally, ATVs have also proven to be quite enjoyable for most people tooperate recreationally, further expanding the applications andprevalence of these machines.

In spite of the many benefits derived from an ATV, they do havelimitations. One of these is in the northern climates, where snow canget quite deep and last for long periods of time. While an ATV can passthrough relatively shallower snow depths, as the snow deepens, the ATVwill sink into the snow, and passage through the snow becomessufficiently difficult that the ATV motor and transmission may bedamaged.

Recognizing these limitations, artisans have provided track drives thatreplace the ATV wheels, and which have much larger surface area than thetires. These track drives resemble those found on snowmobiles, and theintent is to enable the ATV to perform in an environment wherepreviously only a snowmobile would have been able to travel. Instead ofthe single track found on most typical snowmobiles, a four-wheel ATVwill generally be fitted with four tracks, such that each wheel isreplaced with a track. The tracks permit the ATV to be driven throughmore extreme ground than would have been possible with tires, such asthrough extremely slippery mud or very deep snow. However, this alsorequires that the ATV be an all-wheel drive model. Noteworthy here isthat many ATVs are not all-wheel drive. Furthermore, tracks require morepower to drive and operate, regardless of the surface, than tires thatare operated on relatively smooth and level ground. Consequently, evenin the case of an all-wheel drive ATV, the tracks require enough morepower that an operator may accidentally overwork the engine andtransmission.

Others in the field of wheeled motor vehicles have contemplated ways toenable the motor vehicles to be operated on more diverse surfaces orthrough challenging weather. Exemplary patents that replace wheels withhub-attached skis, and in many cases, drive tracks, the contents andteaching which are incorporated herein by reference, include U.S. Pat.No. 1,545,264 by Logan, entitled “Motor sled”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,225,444by Leclair, entitled “Runner attachment for vehicles”; U.S. Pat. No.1,433,122 by Coffey et al, entitled “Motor vehicle”; U.S. Pat. No.1,437,408 by Estes, entitled “Automobile sled”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,449,036by Feden, entitled “Automobile sleigh attachment”; U.S. Pat. No.1,511,331 by Harris, entitled “Motor sleigh”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,522,816 byGhent et al, entitled “Runner attachment for automobiles”; U.S. Pat. No.1,575,174 by Mierzejewski, entitled “Motor sleigh”; U.S. Pat. No.1,576,395 by Wood et al, entitled “Attachment for automobiles”; U.S.Pat. No. 1,611,193 by Hegerland, entitled “Sleigh attachment for motorvehicles”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,642,714 by Barrett, entitled “Auto wheelsleigh runner”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,701,212 by Nickerson, entitled “Sleighattachment for motor vehicles”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,825,133 by Spacsek,entitled “Sled attachment for automobiles”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,907,236 byBellerive, entitled “Drive attachment for vehicles”; U.S. Pat. No.3,480,289 by Larkin, entitled “Surface vehicle”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,897by Fester et al, entitled “Mechanism for detachably attaching a runnerto a vehicle wheel”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,545,559 by Jones et al, entitled“Endless track attachment for motorcycles”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,592,279 byDonelson, entitled “Snow scooter”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,727 by Graham,entitled “Runner attachment for motorcycle”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,301 byHenricks, entitled “Convertible snow motorcycle”; U.S. Pat. No.3,650,342 by Pushnig et al, entitled “Convertible snow track-wheeledscooter type vehicle”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,967 by O'Brien et al,entitled “Ski construction for vehicles”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,872,938 byDeGroot, entitled “Convertible ground and snow traveling vehicle”; U.S.Pat. No. 3,901,525 by O'Brien et al, entitled “Ski construction forvehicles”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,229 by Hirose et al, entitled “Endlessarticulated steel band vehicle for off-road services”; U.S. Pat. No.4,869,336 by Nakasaki et al, entitled “Snowmobile”; U.S. Pat. No.5,911,422 by Carpenter et al, entitled “Recreational wheeled accessorycarrier”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,275 by Shaw, entitled “Conversion systemfor all terrain vehicles”; U.S. Pat. No. DE 3,233,455 by Haltmayer,entitled “Snow equipment for a motor vehicle”; EP 0391282 by Yoshioka etal, entitled “Snow vehicle”; FR2599699 by Bruzzone, entitled “Device andcorresponding accessories for converting a moped into a vehicle suitablefor operating on snowy ground”; and WO 99/43540 by Forbes, entitled“Snow vehicle”.

These conversion apparatus have the benefit of providing very secure andsolid coupling into the vehicle carriage structure, meaning that, whenproperly installed, they are very reliable. They also have theunfortunate limitation of disabling, and in most cases, completelyremoving the drive wheels. This leaves the vehicle disabled except whenthere is sufficient snow, mud or other slippery surface for the runnersto slide. Furthermore, an operator must spend a substantial amount oftime removing each tire and replacing it, time that further includesundesirable risks associated therewith. These risks include potentialdamage to the tires, hubs, or the person doing the work. As a result,only the most critical of applications will lead an owner or operator tocarry out the work of switching away from tires, and, then onceswitched, the owner or operator will be quite reluctant to switch back.This effectively leads the owner to desire two vehicles, one which hasrunners and/or tracks for snow, and one which is wheeled for bestperformance on paved areas. This is exactly the situation that thereplacement of wheels was intended to address, meaning few operatorswill continue to switch back and forth between tracks and wheels, unlessextreme circumstances demand them to do so.

Another group of artisans have attempted to avoid the need for removingthe vehicle tires. Patents illustrating wheel-coupling skis or runners,the teachings and contents which are incorporated herein by reference,include: U.S. Pat. No. 861,037 by Kubelka, entitled “Sleigh attachmentfor vehicles”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,218,128 by Swanson, entitled “Sled runnerattachment for vehicle wheels”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,336,448 by Tollbom,entitled “Autosled”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,337,153 by Peterson, entitled“Runner attachment for automobiles”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,345,321 by Enberg,entitled “Runner for side cars”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,350,069 by Corsepius,entitled “Sled-runner attachment for automobiles”; U.S. Pat. No.1,363,148 by Morse, entitled “Sleigh attachment for autos”; U.S. Pat.No. 1,392,438 by Nelson, entitled “Sleigh attachment for autos”; U.S.Pat. No. 1,406,207 by Miller, entitled “Sleigh runner for motorvehicles”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,425,835 by Bufe, entitled “Autosleighattachment”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,438,326 by Nelson, entitled “Vehiclerunner”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,449,738 by Ducatt, entitled “Runner attachmentfor wheels”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,460,605 by Rantasa, entitled “Automobilesleigh attachment”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,629,061 by Armstrong, entitled “Sledattachment for automobiles”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,631,873 by Knight, entitled“Wheel runner”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,733,774 by Brye, entitled “Snow runnerfor vehicles”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,774,835 by Lombard, entitled “Tractiondevice”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,810,042 by Gerth, entitled “Snow runner”; U.S.Pat. No. 2,237,471 by Billings, entitled “Landing ski for airplanes”;U.S. Pat. No. 2,284,075 by Tucker et al, entitled “Snow tractor”; U.S.Pat. No. 2,589,602 by Clark, entitled “Ski attachment for wheeledvehicles”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,818,265 by Calderwood, entitled “Runnerattachment for wheels”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,853,307 by Dombrowski, entitled“Sleigh runners for automobiles and airplanes”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,932,525by Perry, entitled “Sled runner for tractors”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,070,383by Roe, entitled “Snow runners for vehicle wheels”; U.S. Pat. No.3,087,266 by McEvoy, entitled “Snow shoe for automobile wheel”; U.S.Pat. No. 3,252,533 by Aeder et al, entitled “Snow scooter”; U.S. Pat.No. 3,336,994 by Pederson, entitled “Endless crawler attachment forcycles”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,367,674 by Puhl, entitled “Wheelbarrowattachment”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,370,665 by Stanaback, entitled “Tandem axlevehicle”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,412,820 by Wachholz, entitled “Endless trackattachment for motorcycles”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,412,821 by Humphrey,entitled “Track for motorcycle”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,818 by Meredith,entitled “Ski attachments for wheels”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,651,879 byWilson, entitled “Convertible vehicle”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,737,001 byRasenberger, entitled “Track assembly for converting wheeled vehicles”;U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,437 by Howerton et al, entitled “Snow track belt formotorcycle”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,876 by Harris, entitled “Ski attachmentfor vehicle wheels”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,361 by Mosher, entitled“Ski-rail for a wagon”.

This technology allows the operator to leave wheels attached to hubs,but is not without other limitations. There are several limitations thatcarry throughout most of the prior art. One limitation is theundesirable need to lift or jack the vehicle wheels up in order toinstall the skis. As might be appreciated, jacking or otherwise liftinga vehicle always presents undesirable risk, requires significant time,and limits when and where the runners may be attached. Another prior artlimitation is the need to secure directly to a portion of the wheelinside of the outer circumference. Such requirement limits thoseinventions to particular wheel types, and potentially even particularwheel diameters. Further, such securement tends to be localized, such asin the Kubelka patent, meaning that the front tire is secured with twofasteners passing inside of the tire rim. Should there be large forcesapplied to the ski or runner, the forces will not be evenly distributedthroughout the tire, and instead will be concentrated at the two anchorpoints. This can lead to unintended damage or deformation of the rim.Yet another prevalent limitation is the need for tools to execute theattachment and removal of the runners.

Two exemplary patents illustrate runners that a wheeled vehicle may bedriven onto, the teachings and contents which are incorporated herein byreference: U.S. Pat. No. 2,437,622 by Stryker, entitled “Skid runnerattachment for vehicles”; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,321,211 by Bryant et al,entitled “Runner attachment”. These constructs greatly facilitate theinstallation of the runner, and do not require special tools.Unfortunately, and depending upon the vehicle, travel speed, and surfacebeing traversed, very large twisting forces or torque may be appliedbetween the runner and tire. The lack of additional structure enablesundesirable movement between runner and tire, and can lead to dangerousseparation therebetween.

Two additional exemplary patents illustrate improvement by providingside walls that can capture the wheels, providing further support andreducing the likelihood of catastrophic disconnect. The patents, thecontents and teachings which are incorporated herein by reference,include: U.S. Pat. No. 2,321,561 by Bircher, entitled “Ski mechanism foraircraft”; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,883,204 by Tomasovich, entitled “Tractorski”. The Bircher patent requires a known width of tire in order tocapture the tire in the cage properly, and so must be sized toco-operate with a single width of tire. While Tomasovich can accommodatetires of different widths, this is only because the side walls arecaptured between immediately adjacent front wheels found essentiallyonly on tractors.

Three additional patents that illustrate concepts relevant to thepresent invention, the contents and teachings which are incorporatedherein by reference, include: U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,926 by Chase, entitled“Ski device for wheeled vehicles”; EP 0270237 by Cartwright et al,entitled “Improvements in crawler-track attachments for all-terrainvehicles”; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,741,486 by Torgrimson, entitled “Sledrunner attachment for wheeled vehicles”. The Chase patent illustrates arunner that is secured about the outer circumference of a wheel using anover-center clamp, and which captures the wheel in a pocket. However,the pocket has low wall height, in all likelihood to facilitate drive-oncapability, but this low wall height also mans that there is almost noeffective wall support, meaning that this design is prone to limitationssimilar to Stryker and Bryant et al above, where the lack of sufficientadditional wall structure enables undesirable twisting movement betweenrunner and tire, and can lead to dangerous separation therebetween. Inother words, if the walls of Chase are elevated, then the vehicle willneed to be lifted in, but if the walls are lower to permit drive-incoupling, then there will not be sufficient support to prevent relativetwisting between tire and runner. Torgrimson has elevated side supports,but, like other patents discussed herein above, the Torgrimson concepthas a single securement directly to a portion of the wheel inside of theouter circumference. This limits that concept to a particular wheel typeand diameter, and, since the securement tends to be localized to thesingle fastener passing inside of the tire rim, in the event largeforces are applied to the ski or runner, the forces will not be evenlydistributed throughout the tire, and instead will be concentrated at thesingle anchor point. This can lead to unintended damage or deformationof the rim. The Cartwright patent overcomes many of the aforementionedlimitations, but does not clearly permit drive-on installation, anddefinitely requires the use of tools to enable the apparatus to beattached to a tire.

Other patents, the contents and teachings which are incorporated hereinby reference, include: U.S. Pat. No. 1,566,085 by Geaudreau, entitled“Runner attachment for automobiles”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,844,295 by Perry,entitled “Landing gear for aircraft”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,140,752 by Feu,entitled “Motorized snow vehicle”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,015 byYochum, entitled “Rear swing arm assembly for three or four wheeledoff-the-road vehicle track conversion unit”.

In addition to the aforementioned patents, Webster's New UniversalUnabridged Dictionary, Second Edition copyright 1983, is incorporatedherein by reference in entirety for the definitions of words and termsused herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first manifestation, the invention is a quick-release ATV ski. Aski-shaped wheel support holds a pair of wheel receivers longitudinallyalong the support and spaced laterally from each other to define a wheelcage. A strap anchor is adjacent a first end of the wheel cage. Anover-center clamp is adjacent a second end of the wheel cage distal tothe first end. A strap is coupled between strap anchor and over-centerclamp. A removable lock positively engages the over-center clamp andthereby prevents accidental release of the over-center clamp.

In a second manifestation, the invention is, in combination, aski-shaped wheel support, at least one support arm extending normal tothe ski-shaped wheel support, and a pivotal wheel cage. The pivotalwheel cage is pivotally supported upon the support arm and is pivotalfrom a first position having a first edge adjacent to the ski-shapedwheel support and a second edge distal to the first edge spaced from theski-shaped wheel support, to a second position having first and secondedges of said pivotal wheel cage approximately equidistant from theski-shaped wheel support.

In a third manifestation, the invention is, in combination, an ATVendless track uncoupled from a rotary drive, a conformal ski, and atensioning member retaining the conformal ski between the ATV track anda ground surface.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention solve inadequacies of theprior art by providing a drive-on runner and coupling having in oneembodiment width-adjustable side walls, an over-center clamp, and a lockfor securing the over-center clamp. In a second embodiment, a pivotaltire cage is pivoted from a drive-on position to a position capturingthe tire, simply by forward travel of the tire. In a third embodiment, atrack is converted to a runner by the application and tensioning of aflexible plastic ski.

A first object of the invention is to enable a wheeled or track motorvehicle to be converted to a runner vehicle for operation in moreextreme conditions than would be achieved with the wheels and at lessload upon the motor and transmission than would be achieved with tracks.A second object of the invention is for this conversion be intuitive,require minimal time and effort, and most preferably, not require toolsor jacking of the vehicle. An additional object of the invention is tobe compatible with tires of diverse width and diameter. Another objectof the present invention is to ensure that, when properly installed andused, the runners will operate in a safe manner and will not harm thevehicle or operator. A further object of the invention is to enable anATV front wheel set to be fit with runners, to reduce the load on themotor and transmission in heavy snow or deep mud. Yet another object ofthe present invention is to allow an ATV to be fit with rear tracks andfront skis, or to be fit with four tracks and to convert the front twotracks into runners.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects, advantages, and novel features of thepresent invention can be understood and appreciated by reference to thefollowing detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment quick-release All-TerrainVehicle (ATV) ski designed in accord with the teachings of the presentinvention from projected view.

FIGS. 2-4 illustrate the preferred embodiment quick-release All-TerrainVehicle (ATV) ski of FIG. 1 in sequential stages of coupling with atire, from top view.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment quick-release All-TerrainVehicle (ATV) ski designed in accord with the teachings of the presentinvention from projected view.

FIGS. 6-8 illustrate the alternative embodiment quick-releaseAll-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) ski of FIG. 5 in sequential stages of couplingwith a tire, by simplified and sectioned side view.

FIG. 9 illustrates a second alternative embodiment quick release ATV skiin combination with an ATV track from side view.

FIG. 10 illustrates a third alternative embodiment quick-releaseAll-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) ski designed in accord with the teachings ofthe present invention from projected view.

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate a fourth alternative embodiment quick-releaseAll-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) ski designed in accord with the teachings ofthe present invention from top plan and side elevational views,respectively.

FIGS. 13-16 illustrate a fifth alternative embodiment quick-releaseAll-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) ski designed in accord with the teachings ofthe present invention from projected, top plan, side elevational, andenlarged side sectional views, respectively.

FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate a sixth alternative embodiment quick-releaseAll-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) ski designed in accord with the teachings ofthe present invention from projected and enlarged side sectional views,respectively.

FIG. 19 illustrates the preferred embodiment quick-release All-TerrainVehicle (ATV) ski of FIG. 1 in further combination with a preferredstrap adjuster and preferred strap coupler from a top plan view.

FIGS. 20 and 21 illustrate the preferred strap adjuster of FIG. 19 froma bottom plan view and right side view, respectively.

FIGS. 22 and 23 illustrate the preferred strap coupler of FIG. 19 from abottom plan view and right side view, respectively.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1, aquick-release ATV ski 1 incorporates a ski-shaped wheel support 10having a generally planar ski base 11, a raised leading tip 12, and aslightly raised trailing edge 13. Leading edge 12 is raised to floatover the top of snow during forward travel, tending to drive the snowdown under base 11. Since a driver may occasionally desire to back up,trailing edge 13 will also preferably have a slight raise above base 11,but ordinarily the reverse movement of ski 1 will be both slower and ofshorter duration than forward movement, and so a much smaller elevationwill be suitable for trailing edge 13 relative to leading edge 12. Alower surface of ski 1 does not have to be level, and as illustrated,inner bottom ski surface 15 is slightly elevated relative to outerbottom ski surfaces 14. Furthermore, there may optionally be one or morewear bars affixed to the bottom of ski 1, as is known in the snowmobileart.

As aforementioned, during forward travel, leading edge 12 of ski 1 mayencounter significant forces that might tend to deform or break edge 12.To reduce the likelihood of such an event, a strengthening member 16 ispreferably provided that couples through bifurcated end 17 to the verytip of leading edge 12, while bolting at distal end 18 to wheel support10. While the bifurcated end is felt to be optimal, the specificgeometry and construction of strengthening member 16 is not critical tothe operation of ski 1, and may take other forms or geometries.

A drive-in wheel cage is formed by two wheel receivers 20, 30, which, inthe preferred embodiment but not limited thereto, mirror each other. Asa result, discussion of the features of wheel receiver 20 will beunderstood to apply to wheel receiver 30 as well. The featurespertaining to wheel receiver will start with a two in the tens digit,and so will range between 20 and 29, while like features in wheelreceiver 30 will have the same ones digit, but will have a three in thetens digit position, whether explicitly labeled in the drawings or not.Where the ones digits correspond between wheel receiver 20 and wheelreceiver 30, the features will be understood to be functionally alikeand structurally alike, other than the differences induced by the twowheel receivers being mirror images of each other.

Wheel receiver 20 has a base 21 extending roughly perpendicular thereto,making base 21 generally parallel to and immediately adjacent to base11. Side wall 22 rises therefrom for side engagement with a wheel 5(illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4). As wheel 5 rolls forward, it willeventually reach wheel stop 23, which is a steeply sloped, but not quitevertical wall. Folding forward from there is forward lip 24 having apivot hole 25 therein. The opposed ends or terminations 41 of tire clamp40 pass through pivot holes 25 and 35, which allows tire clamp 40 topivot about an axis defined between wheel receivers 20, 30 that isgenerally parallel with base 11 but extending transverse thereto. Wheelreceiver 20 may additionally have a slight depression 26 along the sidewall that can accommodate low and wide wheel bearing caps or hubs. Asillustrated in FIG. 2, wheel receiver 20 will also preferably beprovided with one or more slots 27 therein, which permits wheel receiver20 to be spaced at a greater or lesser distance from wheel receiver 30,and thereby accommodate wheels of different widths.

Tire clamp 40, which may for exemplary purposes be formed from largediameter wire, wraps in a bent, U-shape to top 42 distal to terminations41. Top 42 may be provided with optional handle 43 extending therefrom.Midway between top 42 and terminations 41, tire clamp 40 forms aperpendicular bend, at which a pin receiver 44 is located. When in theposition illustrated in FIG. 1, a locking pin 50 may pass from wheelreceiver 20 to wheel receiver 30. Locking pin 50 will prevent tire clamp40 from pivoting, even in the most extreme circumstances.

FIG. 2 illustrates the preferred embodiment quick-release ATV ski from atop view, prior to tire 5 being driven into engagement. FIG. 3 shows anintermediate coupling step, where locking pin 50 has been removed, andtire 5 has been driven onto base 11, base 21 and base 31, and is engagedwith wheel stops 23, 33.

From the position illustrated in FIG. 3, a pin, bolt, rod or otherfastener, coupled with a termination of strap 60 which may for exemplarypurposes be a loop termination, will be passed through a hole 38 and thecorresponding aligned hole 28. This strap loop about a pin forms ananchor for a first end of strap 60. The plurality of holes 28, 38 areprovided to accommodate tires of different diameters, thereby allowingall tires to stop at forward travel against wheel stops 23, 33.

Strap 60 will then be passed over the top of tire 5, as illustrated inFIG. 4, and pin or similar fastener 62 having the second termination ofstrap 60 coupled therewith will be passed through holes 44 with handle43 raised. Raising handle 43 will be understood to be rotating handle 43counter-clockwise in the view of FIG. 1. Handle 43 may be rotated fullycounter-clockwise to where top 42 physically contacts tire 5. As will beappreciated, at this position, strap 60 will be in the most relaxed orloose position. As handle 43 is rotated clockwise, and thereby lowereddown towards base 11, holes 44 carrying pin 62 will extend farthest downwhen holes 44 are approximately immediately below holes 25, 35. In thisposition, strap 60 is in the greatest tension. Finishing the rotation ofhandle 43 to the position shown in FIG. 1 actually releases some of thetension on strap 60. This means that, to come loose, handle 43 must berotated counterclockwise first through increasing tension, which meansincreasing resistance to further rotation. Once holes 44 pass fromimmediately below holes 25, 35, then further rotation begins to releasetension, making it much easier to continue to rotate handle 43 andrelease all tension in strap 60. This is known in the mechanical arts asan over-center linkage or lock.

The over-center clamp provides significant protection against accidentaldisconnect. However, by inserting pin 50 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4,handle 43 is no longer free to rotate, thereby positively securinghandle 43, tire 5 and base 11 together.

The fabrication of the preferred over-center tire clamp 40 from wire,and the large open areas with only the two passages through pivot holes25, 35, is important in the preferred embodiment. The preferredembodiment quick-release ATV ski 1 is designed for operation in a coldand snowy environment. In that environment, parts are commonly coatedwith snow and ice, and, if not properly designed, may freeze and becomeinoperable. The preferred tire clamp 40 is very resistant to ice andsnow.

The preferred embodiment ATV ski 1 will preferably couple to a singlefront tire 5 of an ATV. In the case of a four wheel ATV, a like ski willbe coupled to the second front tire. Thus, the preferred ski will permitthe front wheel(s) of an ATV to slide over snow, mud, and similarterrain less well-suited to ordinary ATV wheels. The rear ATV wheels maybe left unaltered, or more commonly, tracks would be substituted for therear wheels.

This conversion from four ordinary tires to ski(s) and tracks enablesthe ATV to be used through all four seasons far more efficiently thanthe use of only tracks or only tires. In the prior art, where fourtracks are used there is a substantial load placed upon the engine andtransmission that can be too great for a stock drive train. In contrast,the present invention permits two-wheel drive ATVs to operate oversimilar terrain, and permits four-wheel drive vehicles to be operated inonly two-wheel, or two-track, drive so as to not excessively load thedrive train.

The rapid conversion enabled in the preferred embodiment offers anotherimportant advantage over the prior art. It is common to need to traverseboth a cleared roadway and snow, mud or the like. The present invention,which combines drive-on installation with simple clamp motion to installthe preferred embodiment quick-release ATV ski, requires only a fewseconds. Furthermore, since no jacking is required and instead the ATVis simply driven onto the skis, the skis may be installed in nearly anylocation by nearly any operator. This allows a person to ride the ATValong a cleared roadway using the standard ATV pneumatic tires engagingthe roadway. Then the person may pull off the road and install the skisupon entering a snow-covered area. When leaving the snow covered area,the skis are again readily removed, and may be stored on an ATV rack orthe like while not in use.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment quick-release All-TerrainVehicle (ATV) ski designed in accord with the teachings of the presentinvention from projected view, while FIGS. 6-8 illustrate thealternative embodiment quick-release All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) ski insequential stages of coupling with a tire.

Various embodiments of apparatus designed in accord with the presentinvention have been illustrated in the various figures. The embodimentsare distinguished by the hundreds digit, and various components withineach embodiment designated by the ones and tens digits. However, many ofthe components are alike or similar between embodiments, so numbering ofthe ones and tens digits have been maintained wherever possible, suchthat identical, like or similar functions may more readily be identifiedbetween the embodiments. If not otherwise expressed, those skilled inthe art will readily recognize the similarities and understand that inmany cases like numbered ones and tens digit components may besubstituted from one embodiment to another in accord with the presentteachings, except where such substitution would otherwise destroyoperation of the embodiment. Consequently, those skilled in the art willreadily determine the function and operation of many of the componentsillustrated herein without unnecessary additional description.

As shown in FIG. 5, a pair of support arms 120, 130 and pivots 125couple a wheel cage 122 onto ski-shaped wheel support 110. Wheel support110 has abase 111, up-curved leading edge 112, and slightly up-curvedtrailing edge 113, all functionally similar to those of FIGS. 1-4. Abrace 116 performs like support as brace 16, and adjustments 137 allowsupport arms 120, 130 to be moved closer or farther from each other, asneeded or required for a particular ATV wheel.

The ski-shaped wheel support as illustrated has a leading edge 112 inthe forward direction which is additionally slightly elevated relativeto the generally planar area under the wheel cage 122, which helps theski stay on top of the snow when traveling forward. However, thespecific geometry of ski-shaped wheel support 110 is not critical to thepresent invention. Instead, a variety of geometries are contemplatedherein, particularly a wheel support having both forward 112 andrearward 113 up-curved edges, facilitating both forward and reversetravel. The single point as illustrated enables simple coupling, sincethe skis may be placed in front of ATV tires 5, and then the ATV maysimply be driven forward onto the skis. As long as the trailing edge 113is relatively minimally elevated, the ATV may still be driven directlyonto ski 100, but at some dimension, a rearward point that is tooelevated will interfere with driving onto the ski.

The ski-shaped wheel support 110 may be fabricated from a variety ofmaterials, including durable metals such as steel or durable plasticssuch as high density or Ultra-High Molecular Weight (UHMW) polyethylene,or laminates, composites or other suitable materials and compositions.The bottom surface of the ski-shaped wheel support may optionallyincorporate a longitudinal skid or wear bar in a fashion similar to thewear bars found commonly on snowmobiles to protect the ski bottomagainst undesirable wear. These wear bars can also help reduce slippageduring cornering.

The ski coupling in this alternative embodiment includes a pivotal wheelcage. This pivotal cage in a first position as illustrated by simplifiedside view in FIG. 6 allows ATV tire 5 to be driven onto ski-shaped wheelsupport 110. Once tire 5 passes over the rear portion of wheel cage 122,adjacent to trailing edge 113, cage 122 will then pivot forward withforward movement of tire 5, and thereafter constrains the tire againstfurther movement forward or to the side. A strap 160 is then used towrap about the upper circumference of tire 5 to bind the tire toski-shaped wheel support 110. The cage 122 remains in place, which helpsto ensure the ski stays in place.

As is visible in the figures, the preferred embodiment cage has parallelside members, but the front and back walls of the wheel cage are notparallel to each other. Instead, the rear cage is sloped such that itlays relatively flat when in the loading and unloading position asillustrated in FIG. 6. This angular offset further facilitates couplingby driving onto the ski 100, while not adversely altering the stepsrequired for removal of ski 100. The cage 122 is preferably sufficientlydurable to assist with the capture and holding of tire 5, even throughturns, bumps and other events that might otherwise separate ski 110 fromtire 5.

The strap 60, 160 may take a variety of suitable geometries,configurations, and even materials, but will preferably be readilydisplaced such that an ATV tire may be driven into the wheel cage. Inthe preferred embodiment, the strap is flaccid, and may be fabricatedfrom nylon or other fabrics or materials, chain, rope, cable, or anyother suitable material. Other suitable means for holding the ski andtire together are contemplated herein and may include various plates,clamps or the like.

FIG. 9 illustrates a second alternative embodiment ATV ski 200 from sideview. In this alternative embodiment, prior art ATV track 208, drivewheel 205, and bogie or idler wheels 206, 207 are mounted to all fourwheels, as is known in the art. However, when the front tracks are notnecessary or desired to operate, the ATV will be taken out of four wheeldrive. This will increase fuel economy, and also reduce the wear andtear on the four wheel drive train. Instead of running or turning track208, a ski 210 is preferably strapped onto the track, as illustrated inFIG. 9. Ski 210 may, though not necessarily, be slightly conformal andof sufficient length to elevate on both the front and rear ends whenattached. At the fore end 212 and aft end 213 of ski 210 there areprovided hook and eyes 262. A strap 260 and ratchet 240, similar tostrap 60, 160 used in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 8, is coupled tohook and eyes 262 to secure ski 210 to track 208.

The ski 210 may alternatively be rigid and pointed, similar or evenidentical to the preferred embodiment ski 1, if so desired. Furthermore,it is contemplated herein that ski 210 be of length greater than thatrequired to wrap about track 208. In one conceived embodiment,ski-shaped wheel support 10 may be used, and wheel receivers of verymuch less vertical height than receivers 20, 30 may be used to providesides about track 208. Where desired, a slightly conformal ski can belaid flat on the ground, and the track driven thereupon. Next, the strapcan be attached and tensioned, thereby causing the conformal ski to flexand take the shape of the track, meaning it will be raised at the frontand back.

Noteworthy in this embodiment is the ability of ski 210 to be packedwhen not in use into a relatively small space. Depending uponpreferences, ski 210, which operatively serves as a wheel support, maybe either laid flat and stacked with the second ski, or the two skis maybe coiled into a small roll. This facilitates the storage and transportof the skis when not in use.

FIG. 10 illustrates a third alternative embodiment quick-releaseAll-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) ski 300 designed in accord with the teachingsof the present invention from projected view. This embodimentincorporates an off-the-shelf ratcheting tie-down strap 360incorporating a ratchet 364 into a bolt or pin 362 provided at the frontof the receivers 320, 330.

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate a fourth alternative embodiment quick-releaseAll-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) ski 400 designed in accord with the teachingsof the present invention from projected and side elevational views,respectively. In this embodiment, brace 416 has been provided with aT-bar 418 that is folded vertically into a U-shape, through which a pin450 may pass to secure tire clamp 440 in the locked down position. Thispin 450 provides an alternative locking method to locking pin 50illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 13-16 illustrate a fifth alternative embodiment quick-releaseAll-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) ski 500 designed in accord with the teachingsof the present invention from projected, top plan, side elevational, andenlarged side sectional views, respectively. The side section view ofFIG. 16 is taken along line 16′ of FIG. 15. In this embodiment, brace516 is affixed to or may even be integral with ski 510. A generallyT-shaped locking member 550 is coupled at the top of the T to receivers520, 530, visible in FIGS. 14 and 15. Distal to the top of the T is atube 552 that is open transverse to ski 510. Tube 552 provides acoupling location for a pin, which might for exemplary purposes be a pinsimilar to pin 450. By passing such a pin through, tire clamp 540 willbe held in the locked and over-center position. In addition, optionalwear bars 519 may be provided underneath ski 510, preferably from aparticularly durable material such as iron or steel. These wear bars 519will preferably be removably affixed to ski 510, such that when theywear away, they may be replaced with new sacrificial wear bars, withoutrequiring replacement of the entire ski assembly.

At the front of receivers 520, 530, and simultaneously serving to couplethem together and provide a forward stop is forward end plate 547, whichpreferably has a plurality of slots therein to accommodate variablewidth between receivers. Adjacent the rear of receivers 520, 530 is rearcross strap 561, which provides an alternative embodiment way to anchorstrap 60 rather than the holes 38 illustrated in FIG. 1. Rear crossstrap 561 may, for exemplary purposes only and not solely limitingthereto, pass through a terminating loop in strap 60, and then be boltedonto receivers 520, 530 to securely attach strap 60 distal to theover-center clamp 540.

An alternative embodiment pin receiver 544 is also illustrated, whichhas two notches capable of receiving pin 562 into either one of the twonotches. These notches provide a simple adjustment for different tirediameters without having to change the length of strap 60, and withoutnecessitating the plurality of holes 28, 38 illustrated in the firstembodiment ski 1.

FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate a sixth alternative embodiment quick-releaseAll-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) ski 600 designed in accord with the teachingsof the present invention from projected and enlarged side sectionalviews, respectively. As illustrated therein, a locking ring pin 650 maybe used to hold tire clamp 640 in the locked, over-center position. Asecuring plate 646 with a hole formed centrally therein spans the armsof tire clamp 640, and preferably aligns with a ring pin couplingembedded or formed into wheel support 610. The ring pin and ring pincoupling can comprise any of a variety of known fasteners, such as athreaded coupling, but more preferably comprising a spring ball anddetent arrangement that holds pin 650 down and within securing plate646.

Within ATV ski 600, a further alternative embodiment locking mechanismis provided, through the provision of hole 655 in brace 616. Throughhole 655 a pin such as pin 450 may pass. With appropriate placement ofhole 655 in brace 616 relative to tire clamp 640, and as best understoodfrom FIG. 18, when clamp 640 swings forward, rotating counterclockwise,handles 43 will collide with the pin, preventing clamp 640 from rotatingpast center until the pin is removed from hole 655.

FIG. 19 illustrates the preferred embodiment quick-release All-TerrainVehicle (ATV) ski 1 of FIG. 1 in further combination with a preferredstrap adjuster 70 and preferred strap coupler 80. In accord with theteachings of the present invention, strap adjuster 70 and strap coupler80 are each provided with prongs or teeth 72, 82 respectively. Theseteeth 72, 82 engage with tire 5 when clamp 40 is used to tighten strap60 thereabout. The teeth 72, 82 help to ensure that strap 60 staysengaged with and circumscribes tire 5. Strap adjuster 70, shownseparately in FIGS. 20 and 21, has a slightly arched body 71 with a pairof spaced slots 74 formed there through. These slots 74 define a paththrough which strap 60 may pass in a manner as is known in the priorart, allowing the length of strap 60 to be adjusted or varied. Strapcoupler 80 is illustrated in FIGS. 22 and 23, and has a pair of slots 84formed in slightly arched body 81. Each slot provides a connectionthrough which a strap segment may pass and terminate. This allows strapsof varying sizes to be used on either side of strap coupler 80. Mostpreferably, strap adjuster 760 will be located more distal from clamp40, while strap coupler 80 will be located relatively more adjacent toclamp 40. By spacing strap adjuster 70 and strap coupler 80, thereremain only relatively short sections of strap 60 that are less securelyanchored to tire 5.

From the foregoing figures and description, several additional featuresand options become more apparent. First of all, the preferred andalternative embodiments may be manufactured from a variety of materials,including metals, resins and plastics, ceramics or cementitiousmaterials, or even combinations, laminates or composites of the above.The specific material used may vary, though special benefits areattainable if several important factors are taken into consideration.First, the skis will encounter large impact forces. It is thereforepreferable that all materials are sufficiently tough and durable to notfracture, even when great forces are applied thereto. By using partiallyresilient or elastomeric materials, there is a dampening of energy inthe event of impact with an object. In addition, the skis will encountersnow, ice, mud, and other materials that will undoubtedly tend to abradethe ski bottoms. As noted herein above, preferred materials includesteel, Ultra-High Molecular Weight (UHMW) polyethylene, fiberglasscomposites, and other materials that combine fracture resistance withreasonable abrasion resistance. In addition, the tire brackets may besimilarly fabricated, though preferred materials are steel and aluminum.

While the foregoing details what is felt to be the preferred andadditional alternative embodiments of the invention, no materiallimitations to the scope of the claimed invention are intended. Thevariants that would be possible from a reading of the present disclosureare too many in number for individual listings herein, though they areunderstood to be included in the present invention. For exemplarypurposes only, and not solely limiting thereto, while the illustratedpreferred and alternative embodiments most preferably couplespecifically with an ATV, these embodiments will have application toother vehicles as well, which should be apparent and so which areconsidered to be incorporated herein. Further, features and designalternatives that would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the artare considered to be incorporated also. The scope of the invention isset forth and particularly described in the claims herein below.

I claim:
 1. A quick-release ATV ski, comprising: a ski-shaped wheelsupport; a pair of wheel receivers extending longitudinally along andrising from said ski-shaped wheel support and spaced laterally from eachother to define a wheel cage; a strap anchor adjacent a first end ofsaid wheel cage; an over-center clamp adjacent a second end of saidwheel cage distal to said first end; a strap coupled between said strapanchor and said over-center clamp; and a removable lock positivelyengaging said over-center clamp and thereby preventing accidentalrelease of said over-center clamp.
 2. The quick-release ATV ski of claim1, wherein said pair of wheel receivers are spaced laterally from eachother by an adjustable distance.
 3. The quick-release ATV ski of claim1, wherein said pair of wheel receivers further comprise side walls andat least one front wheel stop.
 4. The quick-release ATV ski of claim 1,wherein said pair of wheel receivers and said ski-shaped wheel supportdefine a drive-in wheel cage.
 5. The quick-release ATV ski of claim 1,further comprising a plurality of holes spaced varying distances fromsaid over-center clamp, each serving as an available receiver for saidstrap anchor.
 6. The quick-release ATV ski of claim 1, furthercomprising a strap adjuster having: a body; a pair of spaced slotsformed through said body and through which said strap passes andconfigured to allowing a length of said strap to be adjusted; and teethcoupled with and extending from said body and configured to engage witha wheel retained within said ski-shaped wheel support.
 7. Thequick-release ATV ski of claim 6, further comprising a strap couplercoupled with said strap intermediate between said strap adjuster andsaid over-center clamp, said strap coupler having: a coupler body; apair of spaced slots formed through said coupler body and through whichsaid strap passes and configured to allowing a length of said strap tobe adjusted; and coupler teeth coupled with and extending from saidcoupler body and configured to engage with a wheel retained within saidski-shaped wheel support.
 8. In combination, an ATV endless track, aski, and a tensioning member, wherein said ATV endless track isuncoupled from a rotary drive and defines a ground contact regionbetween at least two track wheels, wherein said ski is immediatelyadjacent to and covering said ATV endless track ground contact regionand thereby isolates said ATV endless track ground contact region fromdirect contact with a ground surface, and wherein said tensioning memberretains said ski in position immediately adjacent to and covering saidATV endless track and between said ATV endless track and said groundsurface.
 9. The combination ATV endless track, ski, and tensioningmember of claim 8, further comprising a pair of track receiversextending longitudinally along and rising from said ski-shaped wheelsupport and spaced laterally from each other to define a track cage. 10.The combination ATV endless track, ski, and tensioning member of claim8, wherein said ski is in direct contact with said ATV endless trackground contact region.
 11. The combination ATV endless track, ski, andtensioning member of claim 8, wherein said ski is conformal.
 12. Thecombination ATV endless track, ski, and tensioning member of claim 11,wherein said ski is adapted to roll into a storage configuration. 13.The combination ATV endless track, ski, and tensioning member of claim11, wherein said conformal ski extends more fore and more aft than saidATV endless track ground contact region and rises both fore and afttherefrom.
 14. The combination ATV endless track, ski, and tensioningmember of claim 13, wherein said ski is provided with at least one of ahook and eye, and said tensioning member is provided with another ofsaid hook and eye and engages with said at least one of said ski hookand eye.